What Are The Best Racing Helmets? Read Our Racing Helmet Buyer’s Guide

Finding the right racing helmet is extremely important, yet with so many options out there is can be a tricky process. You only have one head, and it’s important to protect it properly on track whether you’re a track day warrior or veteran racer.

What are Driver61’s best racing helmet picks?

Stilo ST5 F Carbon Helmet

Stilo ST5 F Composite Helmet

Bell RS7 Carbon Helmet

Arai GP-6 Ped Helmet

Arai GP-6RC Helmet

Bell HP7 Full Face Carbon Helmet

This Driver 61 guide to buying the best racing, rally or karting helmet will help you decide between carbon or composite, open or closed-face and which safety standard you’ll require to find the right helmet for you. The Driver 61 Store stocks a variety of race helmets from Arai, Bell, Simpson and Sparco.

What Type of Helmet is Right For Your Track Driving?

The first thing to consider is what you’re going to be using your new helmet for. If you’re just doing the occasional track day, you’ll likely want something different than if you’re taking part in your first LMP3 race – in terms of safety standards, material, and of course, price.

Track Day Helmets

Concerning protection and safety, a helmet is the first piece of equipment we advise buying for track days.

Even though you’re not technically racing on the circuit, you’ll be reaching high speeds and there’s still an element of risk – so you’ll want the best protection for your head.

Helmets used on track days do not need to meet the same safety specifications as those being used to race, but you’ll still want to find the best protection you can.

As most track day cars are saloons, you could go for an open or closed-face helmet. However, we’d generally go for the extra protection of a closed-face.

The only real advantage of an open-face helmet is that it’s slightly easier to be heard, but it’s unlikely you’ll be chatting too much as you’re heading down the Craner Curves.

If you’re in an open-cockpit track day car such as a Caterham R300 or an Ariel Atom, a closed-face lid is the only choice. View our choice of well-priced track day helmets here.

Racing Helmets

If you’re taking part in competitive racing you’ll not only need a good quality racing helmet for the best protection, but it’ll also need to comply with various Snell or FIA homologations.

If you race a single seater or prototype car, you’ll need a full-face helmet. It’s best to look for one with quite a narrow aperture – in the case of being hit by debris on the circuit.

The only exception to this rule is in historic racing, where it may be possible to wear an open-face helmet with goggles. However, we wouldn’t recommend this for the obvious safety reasons.

If you race a saloon or GT car, you can wear either an open or closed-face helmet. Choosing between them depends on personal preference, but we would generally opt for the extra protection of the closed-face helmet.

Rally Helmets

Rally driving is one of the most dangerous disciplines in motorsport, so you’ll certainly want the best protection for your head.

As with circuit motorsport, your rally helmet will need to be Snell or FIA homologated, with the standard depending on the level of your competition. For an in-depth explanation view the safety standards section later in this guide.

Closed or open-face helmets can be used in rallying, which is down to personal preference.

Communication is critically important in rallying and so most of our rally helmets use Peltor intercoms which are compatible with Peltor, top-end Sparco and OMP amplifiers.

Karting Helmets

Karters are extremely exposed when on track, so using a high-quality helmet is important.For this reason, all karting helmets are full-face for obvious safety purposes.

The competitive regulations for karting helmets vary according to the age of the karter. If the driver is below 15 years, they must wear a CMR approved helmet.

The CMR helmets are made to a light weight, to ensure a less load on the young karter’s neck. Drivers over 15 can use a non-CMR helmet. Helmets with Snell or FIA approval can also be used in karting.

For more information regarding the safety standards for karting helmets please refer to our safety section, where we explain exactly which standard you’ll require.

Fibreglass v Composite v Carbon Racing Helmets

It’s a complicated thing to understand: what do I need and what is the difference between a fibreglass, composite and carbon racing helmet?

It can be difficult to know if you actually need a full-carbon helmet or whether a fibreglass lid is sufficient. This section of our guide explains a little more about the construction of helmets, and which material might be best for you.

Fibreglass Race Helmets

As you might expect, the shell of fibreglass race helmets is made completely from fibreglass.

Fibreglass lids are the most cost effective helmets we stock, but they are usually heavier and less penetration resistant than the composite and carbon options.

Composite Race Helmets

Composite race helmets have the most complex construction of all, using a variety of fibreglass, Kevlar and carbon.

In the areas that may be hit by debris, such as the forehead, the helmet is made from Kevlar. The sides of the composite helmet are made from carbon, while the areas in between the Kevlar and carbon, and the back of the helmet, are made from fibreglass.

Composite helmets are usually lighter than full-fibreglass lids and are generally a similar weight as carbon.

Carbon Race Helmets

These race helmets are made entirely from carbon, with their benefits being the sheer strength. Carbon helmets are extremely strong and offer unrivalled protection from impact and penetration.

If you’re driving a formula or prototype car, where your head may be exposed to debris, a carbon helmet is the best option.

Most people opt for carbon helmets due to the weight, however, even though they’re very light carbon helmets generally weigh only slightly less than their composite counterparts.

Intercom

If you’re a rally driver or co-driver, it’s likely you’ll need to communicate with your partner. Take a browse through our rally helmets with intercoms. Most of our rally helmets use Peltor intercoms which are compatible with Peltor, top-end Sparco and OMP amplifiers.

HANS posts

As of last year, it’s now necessary to use a HANS device when competing in all circuit racing, stage rallying, hill climbs and sprints in the UK. All of the helmets listed on Driver 61 come factory-fitted with HANS posts (barring a few cheaper models).

All helmets listed on Driver 61 – barring a few value models – come factory-fitted with HANS posts. Even if you’re a track day driver, we suggest using a proven life-saving device so long as you have harnesses.

View our large selection of HANS and FHR devices on the Driver 61 Store here.

Visors

All of our full-face helmets come with a standard clear visor. However, it’s best to have a few extra for different conditions such as a bright sun, a low sun or an overcast day.

For a bright day or low sun, you should consider a heavy smoked or mirrored visor to reduce brightness and glare in your eyes.

For a dark or overcast day, you should consider a clear or lightly smoked visor. A yellow or orange tinted visor will also help improve contrast in low light conditions.

For the rain, take a look at our dual-layer range which helps to reduce fog or condensation inside the visor and improves visibility. We also have a full range of peaks for those using their helmets in GT or saloon cars.